Anonymous
08/09/2013 14:54
Subject: Rate for newborn in rockville!!
It's just a fact, like it or not. Nannies are legally classified as "domestic workers" in the United States. Most of them happen to be immigrants. If you go to the park or library on a weekday, you may see for yourself. Often you'd be hard pressed to find any nanny who is a native English speaker. You don't believe this is related to the low wages?
Anonymous
08/09/2013 14:40
Subject: Re:Rate for newborn in rockville!!
Anonymous wrote:Do you really believe that all your immigrant nannies have "chosen" to be a domestic worker? I don't think so. If you are so challenged to manage living in the DC area, how is it that your help manages? I hate to have to say the obvious here, but how often is it that the rest of society must supplement your bargain nanny by way of social services? I don't suppose anyone knows, given that the majority of these domestic workers are being paid off the books.
You are absolutely correct in that how she manages to live, is indeed none of your concern. After all, she is an adult just like you.
Really?
Yes, really. She is an adult, just like me.
I'm not sure why you're assuming that we are discussing immigrant nannies making below minimum wage and off the books. I also think you are very disrespectful when you call nannies the 'help'.
Fact is, the market drives compensation rates. The market in DC is $15-20/hr. The market is driven by the number of job seekers and the average rate job seekers are willing to take and families willing to offer. That's it. We get that you think employers should pay based on a lifestyle you'd like to have, but that's foolish. Stop beating the invisible dead horse.
I want to bold and applaud every word of this.
Anonymous
08/09/2013 14:07
Subject: Re:Rate for newborn in rockville!!
Do you really believe that all your immigrant nannies have "chosen" to be a domestic worker? I don't think so. If you are so challenged to manage living in the DC area, how is it that your help manages? I hate to have to say the obvious here, but how often is it that the rest of society must supplement your bargain nanny by way of social services? I don't suppose anyone knows, given that the majority of these domestic workers are being paid off the books.
You are absolutely correct in that how she manages to live, is indeed none of your concern. After all, she is an adult just like you.
Really?
Yes, really. She is an adult, just like me.
I'm not sure why you're assuming that we are discussing immigrant nannies making below minimum wage and off the books. I also think you are very disrespectful when you call nannies the 'help'.
Fact is, the market drives compensation rates. The market in DC is $15-20/hr. The market is driven by the number of job seekers and the average rate job seekers are willing to take and families willing to offer. That's it. We get that you think employers should pay based on a lifestyle you'd like to have, but that's foolish. Stop beating the invisible dead horse.
Anonymous
08/09/2013 13:54
Subject: Rate for newborn in rockville!!
Do you really believe that all your immigrant nannies have "chosen" to be a domestic worker? I don't think so. If you are so challenged to manage living in the DC area, how is it that your help manages? I hate to have to say the obvious here, but how often is it that the rest of society must supplement your bargain nanny by way of social services? I don't suppose anyone knows, given that the majority of these domestic workers are being paid off the books.
You are absolutely correct in that how she manages to live, is indeed none of your concern. After all, she is an adult just like you.
Really?
You are absolutely correct in that how she manages to live, is indeed none of your concern. After all, she is an adult just like you.
Really?
Anonymous
08/09/2013 11:07
Subject: Rate for newborn in rockville!!
Another MB whose experience matches 9:51.
Anonymous
08/09/2013 09:51
Subject: Rate for newborn in rockville!!
Anonymous wrote:
20:02 again. You seem to have missed my statement that we paid her $15 per hour instead of the $13 that she requested. I don't regard that as underpaying because (1) She was very happy with the rate and I respected her intelligence enough to believe that she is capable of valuing her own services, (2) Newborns basically just eat and sleep, so she had hours of downtime each day in which to read magazines and relax while holding the baby. (3) I was able to give her some scheduling flexibility and a calm, respectful work environment, all of which were more important to her than the rate. (4) When I parted ways with the baby whisperer because I needed more hours than she could provide, I hired a wonderful, college-educated, full time nanny and a wonderful part time nanny with a masters degree, also for $15 per hour. Both have stuck around and received raises, but were entirely comfortable starting at $15 per hour. (5) Over the years, I've hired multiple long-term sitters at $13-15 per hour. All have been very bright and responsible law students or young, college-educated professionals in their mid-twenties with years of babysitting and camp counselor or swim instructor experience, and in many cases, a lifetime of exposure to the needs of younger siblings.
If every one of these high caliber women was happy to get $15 per hour, it is not rational to conclude that they were all happily underpaid by "people like me." Instead, the logical conclusion is that $15 per hour buys some very good childcare options in the DC market.
Another MB here whose experience in interviewing and hiring a nanny mirrors this poster's (though I have done less hiring thus far). My experience is so similar that I also started our chosen nanny at a higher hourly rate than she requested because I felt she was undervaluing herself. We are all subject to market conditions and the truth in this area seems to be that excellent care is available at this level of pay. For some people that is a great rate (twice minimum wage for starters). For others it is not enough to live on. That reality is not the fault of the individual employers - who, by the way, are subject to their own economic pressures and realities. Am I happy I can get excellent childcare at a level I can afford? Absolutely. Do I wish my housing costs were not among the highest in the nation and my commute is a total, unavoidable nightmare? You bet. Do I consider it my boss's problem or fault if my personal economic situation is a challenge? Nope. I'm an adult and I've built my life, chosen my profession and position, made my decisions about marriage/house/kids/location/etc... and it's my responsibility to make all of that work. Same is true for any adult, regardless of their profession.
Anonymous
08/09/2013 09:44
Subject: Rate for newborn in rockville!!
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:15/hr. sitters aren't trained or experienced in infant care. They're just starting out. You can go out and see for yourself want you get for your $15/hr. and it's not pretty.
Anyone with high standards or means, is not going to settle for mediocre when it comes to their baby.
Some $15 sitters and nannies are plenty experienced in infant care. I've personally hired them and was very impressed, with one exception who was not asked back after a few hours of sitting. The woman I used most when my DD was a newborn had years of experience handling infants at a day care center, came highly recommended by someone I trust, and proved herself to be something of a newborn whisperer. She asked for $13 per hour because she would only be caring for one child, but we ended up paying her $15 because we was great and we wanted to match the rate she was getting at another part time job with two children.
The key to good infant care is careful screening during the hiring process, not paying at the top of the pay scale. Yes, you can pay top dollar for a newborn care specialist, but be sure to probe the credential first. Some of those newborn care specialist certification programs are nothing more than one or two day workshops covering the kind of things most new parents are taught by post-partum nurses in a day or two at the hospital.
How old was your $13/hr baby whisperer? What was her training/experience?[/quot
She was a thirty-something mother of a four year old who was enrolled in preschool while she worked. She also had seven or eight years experience working with infants at a daycare center and two years working as a trained and certified medical assistant. She also had a college degree from her home country. Fully fluent in English, own car, American citizen, sharp as can be. There isn't much correlation between qualification and rate. Hiring would be much easier if there were.
Maybe part of the problem with there being no connection between qualifications and rate is people like you who underpay qualified employees. If she's as wonderful as you say, she was worth more than $13/hour. I made $15/hour as a college nanny with little experience. In my opinion, that's pretty much the bottom for anyone who speaks English and can illustrate some level of intelligence and common sense.
20:02 again. You seem to have missed my statement that we paid her $15 per hour instead of the $13 that she requested. I don't regard that as underpaying because (1) She was very happy with the rate and I respected her intelligence enough to believe that she is capable of valuing her own services, (2) Newborns basically just eat and sleep, so she had hours of downtime each day in which to read magazines and relax while holding the baby. (3) I was able to give her some scheduling flexibility and a calm, respectful work environment, all of which were more important to her than the rate. (4) When I parted ways with the baby whisperer because I needed more hours than she could provide, I hired a wonderful, college-educated, full time nanny and a wonderful part time nanny with a masters degree, also for $15 per hour. Both have stuck around and received raises, but were entirely comfortable starting at $15 per hour. (5) Over the years, I've hired multiple long-term sitters at $13-15 per hour. All have been very bright and responsible law students or young, college-educated professionals in their mid-twenties with years of babysitting and camp counselor or swim instructor experience, and in many cases, a lifetime of exposure to the needs of younger siblings.
If every one of these high caliber women was happy to get $15 per hour, it is not rational to conclude that they were all happily underpaid by "people like me." Instead, the logical conclusion is that $15 per hour buys some very good childcare options in the DC market.
You're right, I missed that part. Apologies. Many MBs are not like you. They offer embarrassingly low rates to very qualified but desperate/scared nannies, then brag about the wonderful nanny they got for a steal. I'm all about being smart with your money, but I take a moral objection to paying a college educated experienced woman less than a living wage.
Anonymous
08/09/2013 08:51
Subject: Rate for newborn in rockville!!
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:15/hr. sitters aren't trained or experienced in infant care. They're just starting out. You can go out and see for yourself want you get for your $15/hr. and it's not pretty.
Anyone with high standards or means, is not going to settle for mediocre when it comes to their baby.
Some $15 sitters and nannies are plenty experienced in infant care. I've personally hired them and was very impressed, with one exception who was not asked back after a few hours of sitting. The woman I used most when my DD was a newborn had years of experience handling infants at a day care center, came highly recommended by someone I trust, and proved herself to be something of a newborn whisperer. She asked for $13 per hour because she would only be caring for one child, but we ended up paying her $15 because we was great and we wanted to match the rate she was getting at another part time job with two children.
The key to good infant care is careful screening during the hiring process, not paying at the top of the pay scale. Yes, you can pay top dollar for a newborn care specialist, but be sure to probe the credential first. Some of those newborn care specialist certification programs are nothing more than one or two day workshops covering the kind of things most new parents are taught by post-partum nurses in a day or two at the hospital.
How old was your $13/hr baby whisperer? What was her training/experience?[/quot
She was a thirty-something mother of a four year old who was enrolled in preschool while she worked. She also had seven or eight years experience working with infants at a daycare center and two years working as a trained and certified medical assistant. She also had a college degree from her home country. Fully fluent in English, own car, American citizen, sharp as can be. There isn't much correlation between qualification and rate. Hiring would be much easier if there were.
Maybe part of the problem with there being no connection between qualifications and rate is people like you who underpay qualified employees. If she's as wonderful as you say, she was worth more than $13/hour. I made $15/hour as a college nanny with little experience. In my opinion, that's pretty much the bottom for anyone who speaks English and can illustrate some level of intelligence and common sense.
20:02 again. You seem to have missed my statement that we paid her $15 per hour instead of the $13 that she requested. I don't regard that as underpaying because (1) She was very happy with the rate and I respected her intelligence enough to believe that she is capable of valuing her own services, (2) Newborns basically just eat and sleep, so she had hours of downtime each day in which to read magazines and relax while holding the baby. (3) I was able to give her some scheduling flexibility and a calm, respectful work environment, all of which were more important to her than the rate. (4) When I parted ways with the baby whisperer because I needed more hours than she could provide, I hired a wonderful, college-educated, full time nanny and a wonderful part time nanny with a masters degree, also for $15 per hour. Both have stuck around and received raises, but were entirely comfortable starting at $15 per hour. (5) Over the years, I've hired multiple long-term sitters at $13-15 per hour. All have been very bright and responsible law students or young, college-educated professionals in their mid-twenties with years of babysitting and camp counselor or swim instructor experience, and in many cases, a lifetime of exposure to the needs of younger siblings.
If every one of these high caliber women was happy to get $15 per hour, it is not rational to conclude that they were all happily underpaid by "people like me." Instead, the logical conclusion is that $15 per hour buys some very good childcare options in the DC market.
Who was supporting these people on their 15/hr wages? Or were they sharing bedrooms to make ends meet? Just curious how the numbers look in real life. I know I could not do it, and would love to see how your employees do it without being your live in or having to have multiple roommates. All that may be fine for a college aged young woman, but not so much for people past that early stage.
Anonymous
08/09/2013 00:49
Subject: Rate for newborn in rockville!!
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:15/hr. sitters aren't trained or experienced in infant care. They're just starting out. You can go out and see for yourself want you get for your $15/hr. and it's not pretty.
Anyone with high standards or means, is not going to settle for mediocre when it comes to their baby.
Some $15 sitters and nannies are plenty experienced in infant care. I've personally hired them and was very impressed, with one exception who was not asked back after a few hours of sitting. The woman I used most when my DD was a newborn had years of experience handling infants at a day care center, came highly recommended by someone I trust, and proved herself to be something of a newborn whisperer. She asked for $13 per hour because she would only be caring for one child, but we ended up paying her $15 because we was great and we wanted to match the rate she was getting at another part time job with two children.
The key to good infant care is careful screening during the hiring process, not paying at the top of the pay scale. Yes, you can pay top dollar for a newborn care specialist, but be sure to probe the credential first. Some of those newborn care specialist certification programs are nothing more than one or two day workshops covering the kind of things most new parents are taught by post-partum nurses in a day or two at the hospital.
How old was your $13/hr baby whisperer? What was her training/experience?[/quot
She was a thirty-something mother of a four year old who was enrolled in preschool while she worked. She also had seven or eight years experience working with infants at a daycare center and two years working as a trained and certified medical assistant. She also had a college degree from her home country. Fully fluent in English, own car, American citizen, sharp as can be. There isn't much correlation between qualification and rate. Hiring would be much easier if there were.
Maybe part of the problem with there being no connection between qualifications and rate is people like you who underpay qualified employees. If she's as wonderful as you say, she was worth more than $13/hour. I made $15/hour as a college nanny with little experience. In my opinion, that's pretty much the bottom for anyone who speaks English and can illustrate some level of intelligence and common sense.
20:02 again. You seem to have missed my statement that we paid her $15 per hour instead of the $13 that she requested. I don't regard that as underpaying because (1) She was very happy with the rate and I respected her intelligence enough to believe that she is capable of valuing her own services, (2) Newborns basically just eat and sleep, so she had hours of downtime each day in which to read magazines and relax while holding the baby. (3) I was able to give her some scheduling flexibility and a calm, respectful work environment, all of which were more important to her than the rate. (4) When I parted ways with the baby whisperer because I needed more hours than she could provide, I hired a wonderful, college-educated, full time nanny and a wonderful part time nanny with a masters degree, also for $15 per hour. Both have stuck around and received raises, but were entirely comfortable starting at $15 per hour. (5) Over the years, I've hired multiple long-term sitters at $13-15 per hour. All have been very bright and responsible law students or young, college-educated professionals in their mid-twenties with years of babysitting and camp counselor or swim instructor experience, and in many cases, a lifetime of exposure to the needs of younger siblings.
If every one of these high caliber women was happy to get $15 per hour, it is not rational to conclude that they were all happily underpaid by "people like me." Instead, the logical conclusion is that $15 per hour buys some very good childcare options in the DC market.
Anonymous
08/08/2013 21:02
Subject: Rate for newborn in rockville!!
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:15/hr. sitters aren't trained or experienced in infant care. They're just starting out. You can go out and see for yourself want you get for your $15/hr. and it's not pretty.
Anyone with high standards or means, is not going to settle for mediocre when it comes to their baby.
Some $15 sitters and nannies are plenty experienced in infant care. I've personally hired them and was very impressed, with one exception who was not asked back after a few hours of sitting. The woman I used most when my DD was a newborn had years of experience handling infants at a day care center, came highly recommended by someone I trust, and proved herself to be something of a newborn whisperer. She asked for $13 per hour because she would only be caring for one child, but we ended up paying her $15 because we was great and we wanted to match the rate she was getting at another part time job with two children.
The key to good infant care is careful screening during the hiring process, not paying at the top of the pay scale. Yes, you can pay top dollar for a newborn care specialist, but be sure to probe the credential first. Some of those newborn care specialist certification programs are nothing more than one or two day workshops covering the kind of things most new parents are taught by post-partum nurses in a day or two at the hospital.
How old was your $13/hr baby whisperer? What was her training/experience?
She was a thirty-something mother of a four year old who was enrolled in preschool while she worked. She also had seven or eight years experience working with infants at a daycare center and two years working as a trained and certified medical assistant. She also had a college degree from her home country. Fully fluent in English, own car, American citizen, sharp as can be. There isn't much correlation between qualification and rate. Hiring would be much easier if there were.
Maybe part of the problem with there being no connection between qualifications and rate is people like you who underpay qualified employees. If she's as wonderful as you say, she was worth more than $13/hour. I made $15/hour as a college nanny with little experience. In my opinion, that's pretty much the bottom for anyone who speaks English and can illustrate some level of intelligence and common sense.
Anonymous
08/08/2013 20:51
Subject: Rate for newborn in rockville!!
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:15/hr. sitters aren't trained or experienced in infant care. They're just starting out. You can go out and see for yourself want you get for your $15/hr. and it's not pretty.
Anyone with high standards or means, is not going to settle for mediocre when it comes to their baby.
Some $15 sitters and nannies are plenty experienced in infant care. I've personally hired them and was very impressed, with one exception who was not asked back after a few hours of sitting. The woman I used most when my DD was a newborn had years of experience handling infants at a day care center, came highly recommended by someone I trust, and proved herself to be something of a newborn whisperer. She asked for $13 per hour because she would only be caring for one child, but we ended up paying her $15 because we was great and we wanted to match the rate she was getting at another part time job with two children.
The key to good infant care is careful screening during the hiring process, not paying at the top of the pay scale. Yes, you can pay top dollar for a newborn care specialist, but be sure to probe the credential first. Some of those newborn care specialist certification programs are nothing more than one or two day workshops covering the kind of things most new parents are taught by post-partum nurses in a day or two at the hospital.
How old was your $13/hr baby whisperer? What was her training/experience?
She was a thirty-something mother of a four year old who was enrolled in preschool while she worked. She also had seven or eight years experience working with infants at a daycare center and two years working as a trained and certified medical assistant. She also had a college degree from her home country. Fully fluent in English, own car, American citizen, sharp as can be. There isn't much correlation between qualification and rate. Hiring would be much easier if there were.
She could afford all that on a $13/hr salary? I would love to see her budget, wouldn't you?
Anonymous
08/08/2013 20:02
Subject: Rate for newborn in rockville!!
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:15/hr. sitters aren't trained or experienced in infant care. They're just starting out. You can go out and see for yourself want you get for your $15/hr. and it's not pretty.
Anyone with high standards or means, is not going to settle for mediocre when it comes to their baby.
Some $15 sitters and nannies are plenty experienced in infant care. I've personally hired them and was very impressed, with one exception who was not asked back after a few hours of sitting. The woman I used most when my DD was a newborn had years of experience handling infants at a day care center, came highly recommended by someone I trust, and proved herself to be something of a newborn whisperer. She asked for $13 per hour because she would only be caring for one child, but we ended up paying her $15 because we was great and we wanted to match the rate she was getting at another part time job with two children.
The key to good infant care is careful screening during the hiring process, not paying at the top of the pay scale. Yes, you can pay top dollar for a newborn care specialist, but be sure to probe the credential first. Some of those newborn care specialist certification programs are nothing more than one or two day workshops covering the kind of things most new parents are taught by post-partum nurses in a day or two at the hospital.
How old was your $13/hr baby whisperer? What was her training/experience?
She was a thirty-something mother of a four year old who was enrolled in preschool while she worked. She also had seven or eight years experience working with infants at a daycare center and two years working as a trained and certified medical assistant. She also had a college degree from her home country. Fully fluent in English, own car, American citizen, sharp as can be. There isn't much correlation between qualification and rate. Hiring would be much easier if there were.
Anonymous
08/08/2013 19:42
Subject: Rate for newborn in rockville!!
$40 per day
Someone at the daycare discussion forum says someone got more than one child for that price
Someone at the daycare discussion forum says someone got more than one child for that price
Anonymous
08/08/2013 14:07
Subject: Rate for newborn in rockville!!
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:15/hr. sitters aren't trained or experienced in infant care. They're just starting out. You can go out and see for yourself want you get for your $15/hr. and it's not pretty.
Anyone with high standards or means, is not going to settle for mediocre when it comes to their baby.
Some $15 sitters and nannies are plenty experienced in infant care. I've personally hired them and was very impressed, with one exception who was not asked back after a few hours of sitting. The woman I used most when my DD was a newborn had years of experience handling infants at a day care center, came highly recommended by someone I trust, and proved herself to be something of a newborn whisperer. She asked for $13 per hour because she would only be caring for one child, but we ended up paying her $15 because we was great and we wanted to match the rate she was getting at another part time job with two children.
The key to good infant care is careful screening during the hiring process, not paying at the top of the pay scale. Yes, you can pay top dollar for a newborn care specialist, but be sure to probe the credential first. Some of those newborn care specialist certification programs are nothing more than one or two day workshops covering the kind of things most new parents are taught by post-partum nurses in a day or two at the hospital.
How old was your $13/hr baby whisperer? What was her training/experience?
Anonymous
08/08/2013 09:04
Subject: Rate for newborn in rockville!!
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:15/hr. sitters aren't trained or experienced in infant care. They're just starting out. You can go out and see for yourself want you get for your $15/hr. and it's not pretty.
Anyone with high standards or means, is not going to settle for mediocre when it comes to their baby.
Some $15 sitters and nannies are plenty experienced in infant care. I've personally hired them and was very impressed, with one exception who was not asked back after a few hours of sitting. The woman I used most when my DD was a newborn had years of experience handling infants at a day care center, came highly recommended by someone I trust, and proved herself to be something of a newborn whisperer. She asked for $13 per hour because she would only be caring for one child, but we ended up paying her $15 because we was great and we wanted to match the rate she was getting at another part time job with two children.
The key to good infant care is careful screening during the hiring process, not paying at the top of the pay scale. Yes, you can pay top dollar for a newborn care specialist, but be sure to probe the credential first. Some of those newborn care specialist certification programs are nothing more than one or two day workshops covering the kind of things most new parents are taught by post-partum nurses in a day or two at the hospital.
False. There is an hours component to the certification, as well as a written exam. Those are the requirements for certification, and they don't really care how you gather the pertinent knowledge, just that you can pass the exam. So if a few hours at a workshop is all you need to sharpen and refresh your knowledge that's fine. Please stop discrediting women who put in the hard work to become certified as someone who did no more than a couple of hours at a workshop.